'I will be back soon:' Johnson discharged from hospital

Continuing to amaze the doctors with his speedy recovery, Johnson has been discharged from the hospital today, just 16 days after major reconstructive throat surgery following a freak weightlifting accident.

"He has made extremely remarkable progress at this preliminary stage," Dr. Ryan F. Osborne, one of the surgeons who operated on Johnson, said during a press conference this morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "We're happy with his progress and we're very optimistic for his long-term prognosis."

Johnson will now be allowed to rest at home and will be "managed on an outpatient basis," Osborne said. His rehabilitation, which will include speech, swallowing and breathing work, will be handled similarly.

At the brief news conference, Johnson and his mother, Kim Mallory, joined Osborne and fellow surgeon Dr. Jason S. Hamilton. Johnson was in visibly high spirits, as he gave a thumbs up, flashed a "V for victory," smiled, winked and nodded along with the words of the doctors and Mallory.

Following the doctors' statements about the severity of the injury and surgery and what the future holds for Johnson, Mallory shared a few words, expressing her gratitude for all the support poured out since the accident, especially from the doctors who worked on her son.

"God couldn't have put a better team of doctors together," Mallory said. "Please continue to pray for us because we are still fighting on."

Then, Johnson's uncle, Kregg Anderson, read a statement that Johnson had typed on his laptop prior to the press conference.

"This has been the most humbling and eye-opening experience in my 21 years of existence," Johnson's statement read. "This is not the end of anything, but the beginning of things to come.

"The most likely reason is his attitude," Osborne said. "He's been a fighter since the day we met him."

Doctors said they could not give any timetables at this point for when Johnson will regain his speaking capabilities or when he will be able to resume playing football.

"A majority of that is in the hands of Stafon," Osborne said, with Johnson smiling and nodding right next to him at the dais.

As the news conference wrapped up, Johnson scrawled a short note that Mallory read to the media, a brief statement that asked people to follow him on Twitter and shared one final message.

"Fight on and beat the Irish," the note read.

Drs. Ryan F. Osborne (left) and Jason S. Hamilton (second from left), the two surgeons who operated on Stafon Johnson, sit with Johnson and his mother, Kim Mallory, during a news conference this morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, from where Johnson was discharged today.

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